Containers having removable closure caps



June 20, 1961 F. MARX EI'AL 2,989,204

CONTAINERS HAViNG REMOVABLE CLOSURE CAPS Filed May 22, 1957 3Sheets-Sheet 1 June 20, 1961 MARX ETAL 2,989,204

CONTAINERS HAVING REMOVABLE CLOSURE CAPS Filed May 22, 1957 3Sheets-Sheet 2 A mm Friedrioh-Jza w and fzul Jcluzezdel;

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June 20, 1961 F. MARX ETAL CONTAINERS HAVING REMOVABLE CLOSURE CAPS 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 22, 1957 a O I py llz z z z If? I I I I Ill/United States Patent 2,989,204 CONTAINERS HAVING REMOVABLE CLOSURE CAPSFriedrich Marx, Muttenz, and Paul Schneider, Basel,

Switzerland, assignors to Ciba Limited, Basel, Switzerland Filed May 22,1957, Ser. No. 660,898 Claims priority, application Switzerland May 29,1956- 13 Claims. (Cl. 215-40) It is known to close containers, such asbottles, with caps within which is provided an elastic packing disc, forexample, of cork. In general such a packing. does not affordsufiiciently airtight closure of the container, such as is desired moreespecially for bottles containing medicaments. In order to secure moreairtight packing the expedient has been adopted of inserting a packingstopper, for example, a cork treated with paraflin wax, into the mouthof the containerbefore fixing the cap in position. This method istroublesome and cannot easily be carried out by machinery. It is alsooften undesirable when the container is used to be unable to remove thepacking stopper at the same time as the cap.

An object of the present invention is to provide a container having amouth, such as abottle, phial, jar or the like, and especially a bottlefor medicaments, and a cap which can be fixed over the mouth of thecontainer and.

has a packing member within it, and which enables the container to beclosed by machine in an airtight.manner, and permits the packing to beremoved at the same time as the cap. when the container is opened.

This invention provides a container of the above kind, wherein the mouthof the container has adjoining its rim a conical inner surfacethatnarrows towards the interior of the container, the closure cap haswithin it an elastically deformable bowl-shaped packing member having aconvex surface that bulges outwards towards the interior of thecontainer and, when placed on the mouth .of the. container in thenon-deformed condition, makes contact near its periphery with theconical inner surface along a closed line that substantially coincideswith the boundary between the conical inner surface and. rim of themouth, and the cap and the packing member are so constructed that uponmovement of the cap into its closing position pressure is exerted withinthe central portion of the packing member in the direction of theinterior of the container to cause elastic deformation of the packingmember in such manner that the peripheral portion of the. convex surfaceis pressed into full contact with the conical inner surface of themouth.

Advantageously the conical inner surface of the mouth of the containerhas an angle within the range of 60 to 120, and preferably 80 to 100.

The packing member or the cap may have Within it a central projectionthat by abutting against the underside of the cap or the inner, side ofthe packing, respectively, exerts the aforesaid pressure upon movementof the cap into its closed position. The packing is then so guidedwithin the cap that the inner side of the peripheral portion of thepacking member is spaced away from the underside of the cap when thesaid member is in the non-deformed condition, so that during the closingmovement of the cap pressure is first exerted on the central portion ofthe packing member in the direction of the interior of thecontainer.

The projection within the packing or cap may take the form of a simplepin. In order to reduce the amount of material required the pin may havea recess in its free endor. the projection may take the form of an openended tube directed against the underside of the cap.

The packing member may be held and guided within the'cap in any desiredmanner. Thus, for example, the

Patented June 20, 1961 projection within the packing member or cap,which serves in the present invention to transmit pressure from' theunderside of the cap to the packing member, may also serve as a meansfor holding the packing member.

The projection within the packing member or cap may then be formed as asimple pin the free end of which is either rigidly fixed to the opposingunderside of the cap or inner side of the packing member, or is insertedwithin a closely fitting tubular guide portion on the opposing undersideof the cap or inner side of the packing. In the latter case also thefree end of the pin must abut against the opposing underside of the capor inner side of the packing member, in order that during the closingmovement of the cap the latter shall transmit pressure to the packingmember. As an alternative to a simple pin and a co-operating tubularguide portion, the pin may be provided, for example, with longitudinalgrooves and the co-operation guide portion may be provided withcorresponding longitudinal grooves or longitudinal ribs, respectively.Furthermore, the pin may have at its free end a The aforesaid protrudingportions may consist of teeth which are advantageously distributed roundthe entire circumference of the edge of the packing member. In: stead ofproviding a plurality of protruding portions, a simple and effectivearrangement is to provide a single protruding portion in the form on anannular flange projecting from the outer edge of the bowl-shaped packingmember. In this form of the invention the cap is advantageouslyconstructed as a screw-threaded cap, andthe aforesaid protruding portionor portions for holding and guiding the packing member within the capengage the last turn of the screw thread adjacent to the underside ofthe cap. 7

A pipette may be combined with the packing member by constructing thecentral portion of the packing member, preferably as a pressure bulb, ofwhich the outer closed end projects in known manner outwardly through acentral opening of suitable size in the upper wall of the cap, and ofwhich the inner open end serves to hold the pipette within the containerin the position it p is to occupy when immersed in a liquid within thecontainer. The container may be made of glass, an artificial plastic orother suitable material. The cap serving as outer closure member isadvantageously a screw-threaded cap which can be secured over the mounthof the container, for which purpose the mouth of the container. isitself provided with a corresponding screw thread. The screw-threadedcap may be made of a material which is the same or different from thatof the container, for example, artificial resin, porcelain or metal. Thecap may be attachable to the container by other known means, forexample, it may be a closure cap of the kind and organic solvents, andwhich impart no odour or taste to the substances to be kept in thecontainer. Such materials are, for example, polyethylene and especiallymixtures of polyethylene and polyisobutylene, for example, a mixture of70 parts of polyethylene and 30 parts of polyisobutylene.

Examples, of containers having closures in accordance with the inventionare described with references to the accompanying drawings, in which thesame reference numerals are used for similar parts, and in which FIG. 1is a cross-section of a closure in accordance with the invention havingmeans for holding the packing member at its outer edge within the cap,the packing member being shown in the non-deformed condition,

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the closure shown in FIG. 1 with thepacking member in the elastically deformed condition,

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of a modification of the closare shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, before deformation of the packing member,

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the closure shown in FIG. 3 afterdeformation of the packing member,

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of another form of closurev having centralholding means for the packing member before the latter is deformed,

FIG. 6 is a cross-section of the closure shown in FIG. 5 afterdeformation of the packing member,

FIG. 7 is a cross section of yet another form of closure having centralholding means for the packing memher before the latter is deformed,

8 is a cross-section of the closure shown in FIG. 7 after deformation ofthe packing member,

FIG. 9 is a cross-section of a closure combined with a dropping pipettewith the packing member in the nondeformcd condition,

FIG. 10 is a cross-section of the closure shown in FIG. 9 afterdeformation of the packing member.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the closure has a cap 1, for example, ofartificial plastic, which is provided with a screw thread 2. The screwthread 2 is engageable with a screw thread 3 on the mouth 4 of acontainer, for example, a glass bottle.

The bowl-shaped packing member 7 is of elastic material, for example, amixture of polyethylene and polyisobutylene, and has a central plug-likeprojection 6 having a central recess 6a. The free end of the projection6 abuts against the underside of the cap 1.

The peripheral portion 8' and the packing member 7 is formed at itsouter edge with an annular. flange 9. The flange 9 has extending fromits lower side a projecting portion 9a, which engages in the final turn2a of the screw thread 2 on the cap 1 and serves to hold and guide thepacking member in the cap 1. The projecting portion 9a, may be acontinuous or discontinuous annular flange or it may be formed of teeth.In order to counteract any tendency of the packing member to stick tothe mouth of the container, the flange 9 of the packing member 7 in thenon-deformed condition of the latter is inclined in an upward direction.The projection 6 is so dimensioned that when its free end abuts. againstthe underside of the cap 1 a space remains between the underside of thecap. and the upper side of the flange 9, when the packing member is notelastically deformed.

When the cap 1 is screwed down on the mouth 4 of the bottle, first ofall the packing member 7 moves downwardly on to the rim 10 of the bottleuntil it reaches the position shown in FIG. 1. A conical inner surface11 of the mouth 4 adjoins the rim 10 and has an angle such that in thenon-deformed condition the bowl-shaped packing member 7 makes contactsubstantially only along the, edge. 12, which constitutes the boundarybetween;the conical: surface 11 and the rim 10. Furthermore, in thisposition of the packing member 7 its annular flange 9 is. not only;spaced from the underside of the; cap. 1, but is.also spacedfrom. therim. 10.

When the cap 1 is screwed down further the underside 1 of the cap exertsthrough the projection 6 a deforming pressure at the central portion ofthe packing member 7 in such manner that the packing member is forceddownwardly into the mouth of the bottle and the convex surface of theperipheral portion 8 of the packing member is pressed into full contactwith the conical inner surface 11 and assumes the shape of that surface,as shown in FIG. 2. In this manner the bottle is closed airtight.Simultaneously the flange 9 is firmly clamped between the underside ofthe cap 1 and the rim 10 of the container, whereby additional packing isattained.

When, in opening the bottle, the cap is unscrewed to the position shownin FIG. 1 the packing member 7 due to its inherent elasticity,automatically tends to return from the deformed condition shown in FIG.2 to its original non-deformed condition shown in FIG. 1. Due to theconsequent retractive force the packing member is released from theconical inner surface 11 and the rim 10. The retractive force issupplemented by the uppermost turn of the screw thread 2, which, whenthe cap is unscrewed, lifts the projecting portion 9a of the packingmember off the rim 10.

In the modified form of closure shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 the projection 6is wider and has a central cavity 6a.

In the closure shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 the annular flange 9 of thepacking member 7 has no projecting portion 9a for holding the packingmember by means of the screw thread of the cap 1. For holding thepacking member within the cap the latter has a central pin 5 which isinserted in a tubular central projection 6 of the bowlshaped packingmember 7 in such manner that the free end of the pin abuts against theupper side of the packing member. In order to provide stiffening theprojection 6-is connected to the spherical curved peripheral portion 8of the packing member 7 by means of radical ribs 6a. The pin 5 and theprojection 6 are so dimensioned that when the free end of the pin abutsagainst the upper side of the packing member there is a space betweenthe underside of the cap 1 and the upper side of the flange 9, when thepacking member 7 is not elastically deformed.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 a further example of a closure is shown having centralholding means for the packing member 7. In this case the tubularprojection 6 and the pin 5 that fits into it are wider, and in thenon-deformed condition of the packing member 7 the flange 9 is inclinedin an upward direction. In this construction any tendency for thepacking member to stick to the mouth of the container is efliectivelycounteracted.

In the construction shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 the packing member 7 has acentral bore 13 and its upper side takes the form of a pressure bulb 14and its lower side is formed with a tubular extension 15' to receive adropping pipette 16. The pressure bulb 14 projects through a suitablydimensioned opening in the upper wall of the cap 1 and also serves tohold the packing member 7 in the cap.

The cap. also has a central annular projection 5, the free end of whichbears against an annular central portion 7a on the upper side of thepacking member 7. The projection 5 is so dimensioned that when its freeend abuts against the portion 7a of the packing member there is a spacebetween the underside of the cap 1 and the upper side of the flange 9,when the packing member is not, elastically. deformed.

When the cap 1 is screwed down the projection 5 exerts a deformingpressure on the central portion 7a of the packing member in such mannerthat a tight closure is produced in the manner described with referenceto FIGS. 1 and 2, the finally deformed condition of the packing memberbeing shown in FIG. 10.

If the dropping. pipette 16 is not made of a brittle material suchlas,glass, but is also made of an artificial plastic, suchas-polyethylene,the construction shown in FIGS. 9

and may be modified by providing the pipette with an enlargement andpushing it over the tubular extension 15, instead of inserting thepipette within the extension 15. I The closures described above afford areliable and efficient sealing of the container'which is as good as thatafforded by the much more cumbersome method of closing the mouth of acontainer with a waxed stopper before the cap is secured in position,and, as compared with this known method, the closures of this inventionhave the great advantage that the charged containers, for example,bottlescharged with medicaments, can be closed on a moving conveyor bymachinery.

What is claimed is:

1. A receptacle comprising a container with an opening therein and aclosure cap having an elastically deformable packing member held thereonand being securely fastenable to said container, the container at aposition adjacent to and surrounding the opening having a bevelledsurface, the packing member having a convex surface projecting away fromthe cap, said convex surface being the one which is furthest removedfrom said cap, the angle of the bevelled surface with respect to a planeperpendicular to the axis of said opening being larger than the angle ofa tangent to the convex surface of the packing member at a line ofcontact between them, whereby said packing member in the undeformedcondition is prevented'from entering into the bevelled opening and saidbevelled surface has only line contact with said convex surface, meansbetween the cap and the convex surface of the packing member acting uponthe central portion only of the rear surface of the packing member andserving for urging said convex surface into the bevelled opening whenthe cap is securely fastened to the container, thereby deforming theconvex surface so that it is in surface contact with said bevelledsurface.

, 2. A receptacle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said angle iswithin the range of 40 to 50.

3. A receptacle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the convex surface of thepacking member is provided at its outer edge with an annular flangewhich, when the packing member is in the non-deformed condition, isunable to make contact with the underside of the cap and the mouth ofthe container, but which in the deformed condition of the packing memberbecomes firmly clamped between the underside of the cap and the rim ofthe mouth of the container.

4. A receptacle according to claim 1 wherein the stated means is aprotrusion depending from the packing member.

,5. A receptacle according to claim 4 wherein the protrusion, iscentrally located on the packing member and wherein said protrusion isadapted for centering and holding the packing member in said cap.

6. A receptacle according to claim 1 wherein the packing member isbowl-shaped, having a concave rear surface, said rear surface being incontact with the cap only at its central portion and being spaced fromsaid cap at its circumference when said packing member is uncompressed.

7. A receptacle according to claim 1 wherein the angle of the bevelledsurface is from 30 to 60.

8. A receptacle according to claim 1 wherein the cap has an internalscrew thread for securing it to the container which has a correspondingscrew thread at a position surrounding the bevelled surface and whereinsaid packing member has an outer edge with a projecting portion whichengages a turn of the screw thread of the cap adjacent the underside ofthe cap whereby the packing member is guided in the cap.

9. A receptacle which comprises a container with an opening therein, aclosure cap securely fastenable to said container, an elasticallydeformable packing member held on said cap, and a pipette, the containerat a position surrounding the opening having a bevelled surface, and thepacking member having a convex surface which projects toward thebevelled "surface when the packing mem.

ber is'undefor'med, saidconvex surface being the one,

which, is furthest removed from said cap and having a pressure bulb forthe pipette, the angle of the bevelled. surface witlirespect to a'planeperpendicular to the 'axis;

of said opening being larger than the angle of a tangent to the convexsurface of the packing member at a line of contact between them, wherebysaid convex surface of the packing member is prevented from enteringinto the bevelled opening when the packing member is undeformed, saidpressure bulb projecting through the closure cap, the pipette being.held in the packing member and extending from same in the direction inwhich the convex surface projects, and said closure cap having anannular projection which surrounds the pressure bulb and extends towardthe opening, said projection being adapted for acting upon the centralportion of the rear surface of the packing member, thereby serving fordeforming the convex surface of the packing member so that it is incontact with the entire bevelled surface when the cap is securelyfastened to the container.

,10. In a receptacle comprising a container provided with a mouthportion with an opening therein symmetrical about a central axis, whichmouth portion has a bevelled surface'about the upper rim of saidopening, and an outer screw threading about said mouth portion, as wellas a closure cap having an inside top surface and an innerscrewthreading and adapted for being screwed onto the outer threading ofsaid mouth portion, the improvement of an elastically deformable packingmember interposed between said mouth portion and the inside top surfaceof said closure cap, said packing member comprising a central portionprojecting from the face of said packing member facing said opening,said central portion having a convex surface approximating that of asphere segment, and having at its base a-diameter larger than thediameter of the outer rim of said bevelled surface, whereby said centralportion is prevented from completely entering said opening and has onlythe line contact with said bevelled surface, while said packing memberis in undeformed condition, with the rim of said central portionextending from the wider, outer rim of said bevelled surface generallyoutward away from said axis and toward the inside top surface of saidcap, flange means about said rim of said central portion and capcontacting means provided in the central region of the surface of saidpacking member facing'said inside top surface of said cap and adaptedfor compressive engagement by the latter surface; said flange meansbeing spaced from said mouth portion and clear of said inside topsurface, when said cap contacting means are in contact with the lattersurface while said packing member is in undeformed condition, with saidcentral portion in contact with said bevelled surface; and said flangemeans being deformed to sealingly contact said inside top surface andthe surface of said mouth portion outside said bevelled surface, whensaid packing means are deformed by depression of said cap contactingmeans toward said opening.

11. In a receptacle comprising a container provided with a mouth portionwith an opening therein symmetrical about a central axis, which mouthportion has a bevelled surface about the upper rim of said opening, andan outer screw threading about said mouth portion, as well as a closurecap having an inside top surface and inner screwthreading and adaptedfor being screwed onto the outer threading of said mouth portion, theimprovement of an eleastically deformable packing member interposedbetween said mouth portion and the inside top surface of said closurecap, said packing member comprising a central portion projecting fromthe face of said packing member facing said opening, said centralportion having a convex surface approximating that of a sphere segment,and having at its base a diameter larger than the diameter of the outerrim of said bevelled surface,

whereby said central portion is prevented from com pletely entering saidopening and has only line contact with said bevelled surface, while saidpacking member is inundeformed condition with the rim of said centralportion extending from the wider, outer rim of said bevelled surfacegenerally outward away from said axis and toward the inside top surfaceof said cap, flange means about said rim of said central portion, capcontacting means provided in the central region of the surface of saidpacking member facing said inside top surface of said cap and adaptedfor compressive engagement by the latter surface; said flange meansbeing spaced from said mouth portion and clear of said inside topsurface, when said cap contacting means are in contact with the lattersurface, while said packing member is in undeformed condition, with saidcentral portion in contact with said bevelled surface; and said flangemeans being deformed to sealingly contact said inside top surface andthe surface of said mouth portion outside said bevelled surface, whensaid packing means are deformed by depression of said cap contactingmeans toward said opening, and guiding means protrudingcircumferentially from said flange means and adapted for engaging saidinner screw threading of said cap, so as to guide said packing means insaid cap and permitting removal of the packing means together with saidcap from said container.

12. In a receptacle comprising a container provided with a mouth portionwith an opening therein symmetrical about a central axis, which mouthportion has a bevelled surface about the upper rim of said opening, andan outer screw threading about said mouth portion, as well as a closurecap having an inside top surface and inner screwthreading and adaptedfor being screwed onto the outer threading of said mouth portion, theimprovement of an elastically deformable packing member interposedbetween said mouth portion and the inside top surface of said closurecap, said packing member comprising a central portion projecting fromthe face of said packing member facing said opening, said centralportion having a convex surface approximating that of a sphere segment,and having at its base a diameter larger than the diameter of the outerrim of said bevelled surface, whereby said central portion is preventedfrom completely entering said opening and has only line contact withsaid bevelled surface, while said packing member is in undeformedcondition with the rim of said central portion extending from the wider,outer rim of said bevelled surface generally outward away from said axisand toward the inside top surface of said cap, flange means about saidrim of said central portion, cap contacting means provided in thecentral region of the surface of said packing member facing said insidetop surface of said cap and adapted for compressive engagement by thelatter surface; said flange means being spaced from said mouth portionand clear of said inside top surface, when said cap contacting means arein contact with the latter surface, while said packing member is inundeformed condition, with said central portion in contact with saidbevelled surface; and said flange means being deformed to sealinglycontact said inside top surface and the surface of said mouth portionoutside said bevelled surface, when said packing means are deformed bydepression of said cap contacting means toward said opening; and pipettemeans comprising a pipette and a pressure bulb and being centrallymounted 8 to extend through said packing means and being sur rounded bysaid cap contacting means, so that the open end of said pipette isadapted for extending into the opening of said container and thepressure bulb is adapted for location outside of said cap through acentral opening in the latter.

13. In a receptacle comprising a container provided with a mouth portionwith an opening therein symmetrical about a central axis, which mouthportion has a. bevelled surface about the upper rim of said opening, andan outerscrew threading about said mouth portion, as well as a closure'cap having an inside top surface, centering means protruding from saidinner surface, and an inner screw threading and adapted for beingscrewed onto the outer threading of said mouth portion, the improvementof an elastically deformable packing member interposed between saidmouth portion and the inside top surface of said closure cap, saidpacking member comprising a central portion projecting from the face ofsaid pa'cking member facing said opening, said central portion having aconvex surface approximating that of a sphere segment, and said centralportion having at its base a diameter larger than the diameter of theouter rim of said bevelled surface, whereby said central portion isprevented from completely entering said opening and has only linecontact with said bevelled surface, while said packing member is inundeformed condition, with the rim of said central portion extendingfrom the wider outer rim of said bevelled surface generally outwardawaytfrom said axis and toward the inside top surface of said cap,flange means about said rim of said central portion, and cap contactingmeans provided in the central region of the surface of said packingmember facing said inside top surface of said cap and adapted forcompressive and centering engagement by the latter surface and by saidcentering means, respectively; said flange means being spaced from saidmouth portion and clear of said inside top surface, when said capcontacting means are in contact with the latter surface, while saidpacking member is in undeformed condition, with said central portion incontact with said bevelled surface; and said flange means being deformedto sealingly contact said inside top surface and the surface of saidmouth portion outside said bevelled surface, when said packing means aredeformed by depression of said cap contacting means toward said opening.

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